


Conflict

by Peskychloe



Series: Haikyuu!! Skaters [7]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: EnnoAka Weekend, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-11-16 01:43:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11243733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peskychloe/pseuds/Peskychloe
Summary: A look back at sixteen year old Ennoshita and Akaashi, navigating Cambridge as dorky teenagers





	Conflict

Parrot Records stands in the centre of King Street, flanked either side by a bar and a shop that's been empty for as long as Ennoshita has been visiting the area. They cross the chequered tiling into the musty atmosphere, flyers peeling from the walls, and _finally_ there he is.

He's managed to track him down, after three hours of mooching around Cambridge. Although why he didn't think to try there first, he isn't sure. He's usually at Parrot if they hang around long enough.

'What are you looking for, again?' Akaashi asks, starting to idly flip through the twelve inches.

That boy with long blonde hair and enormous boots, should be his answer, if he's being honest. Instead he goes with, 'I think Freeboy have a new E.P. Out.'

'Who?'

'That band we saw at The Boat Race the other week. They did that song about hair.'

'Hmm. Don't remember.' Akaashi shrugs, and looks at the back of something, frowning.

He goes back to scoping out Blondie. He has those trousers on again, with all the pockets, and it isn't cold enough for him to wear that enormous army jacket he often wears. His arms are on display for once, showing from under a short sleeved t-shirt. They're more muscled than he expected, for someone with such slender hips, with the bottom of a tattoo of something poking out.

Oh, he's older than he thought, to have a tattoo. You have to be eighteen for that, right? So he's at least two years older than they are.

He carries on looking through the racks, trying to flip his blonde hair away from his face, before giving in and pulling it up into a messy bun, securing it with something from amongst the mess of cords and strings around his wrist.

A strand of hair escapes the clutch, hanging down the side of his face, and Ennoshita wants nothing more than to tuck it behind his ear.

'I'm going to...check over there,' Ennoshita says, moving towards the section labelled 'Industrial' where Blondie is standing.

''Kay,' Akaashi says without looking up.

Ennoshita starts looking through a rack, three rows of records, just thirty-six inches, from where Blondie stands. He tries to see what records he's pausing at, as surreptitiously as he can; the trouble with industrial releases is the covers all look pretty similar, and the font is tiny. It could be literally anything. He squints at it, annoyed that his eyesight is getting worse; he doesn't want to wear glasses all the time if he can get away with it, it would be no good for skateboarding.

'It's Psalm 69 by Ministry,' a deep voice to his side says, and the album is held out and turned towards him. The cover shows a figure with wings and some shapes around the edge.

'Oh! Thank you.' He can feel the heat spreading across his neck, and hopes his checked shirt is red enough to hide any blush.

'It's good. Quite old now, but they still play N.W.O. every week at Route.'

Ennoshita has no idea what the second half of that sentence means, but tries to not show his ignorance. 'Oh yeah, I think I know the one.'

He chances a look up, unprepared for the focused attention on him of the celestial being he's been trailing after around town for the best part of six months; it's the closest he's ever got to him, and him smiling at him is even more scenic than he'd expected.

It's not a big smile, but it's enough for dimples to form around the corners of his mouth. He has sleepy eyes, just like his own, but he suspects it's more due to late nights clubbing, or what he smokes, than insomnia and genetics.

The blonde stranger is speaking again. 'I've not seen you there. You should come and say hello next time.'

Oh, God, is this someone showing an interest in him? It can't be, he can't be that lucky. Someone older, someone so hot, couldn't possibly be into him, ordinary and geeky as he is. And yet, he wants him to speak to him again, at a nightclub, he can only assume that's what Route is.

He stutters through his reply, 'Urm, yeah. Yeah! I w-will.'

He smiles again, and carries on looking through the records. 'There's a big crowd of us, all different ages. Some girls your age. You're just Christina's type! We'll be there tonight, come find us, yeah?'

Of course he isn't that lucky.

His response is a muted hum, and he walks back to where Akaashi is standing.

'Who's that?'

'Huh?'

Akaashi nods his head towards Blondie. 'You were just talking to him. You know him?'

'Of course I don't know him! How would I know him? You're always with me. If I knew him, you'd know him.' His voice is maybe a little louder than he wants it to be, and he tuts, more at himself than anyone else.

Akaashi narrows his eyes, and Ennoshita is immediately annoyed at being assessed by his best friend. He turns around and leaves the record shop, filled with embarrassment and anger.

–

He's calmed down by the time they go to Burger King, even treating Akaashi to his burger and fries. They share a bag of onion rings, and the conversation becomes easy again after being stilted for a while. Ennoshita is still embarrassed, but at least Akaashi didn't hear what Blondie was saying, that's his one saving grace.

'What do you want to do tonight?' Akaashi asks him, shoving a handful of fries into his mouth.

'Junction? There's a band on.'

'Or we could stay in town? We could probably get in one of the clubs. If you wanted.'

The Junction is out of town, and has a club night after the band, so they usually hide in the toilets after the bands finish, and then mingle in once the dance floor is filled again. He's never thought they could pass for eighteen, so they've never attempted one of the other clubs.

Akaashi has never suggested a club in town, and the coincidence is too much.

'Why did you say that?' says Ennoshita.

Akaashi pauses, looking at Ennoshita as he chews, deciding how to word what he's thinking. 'Well, there's an industrial night on Saturdays. At a club called Route 66. If you're interested in industrial music now?'

Ennoshita can't work out if Akaashi is teasing him, or being helpful, or really just doesn't know what was going on in the record shop; but at least now he knows what Route is, and why Blondie would be there.

'I'm not sure if I'm into industrial music, really. I was just looking around.'

'And then that bloke helped?'

'Yeah. He...recommended an album.'

'Oh. OK.' He offers the last onion ring to Ennoshita, and eats it when it's refused. 'So, do you want to try that club then?'

'I don't think so. Let's just go to The Junction.'

'Up to you. I don't mind going if...' He leaves the sentence hanging, and it's too much for Ennoshita.

'Are you taking the piss?'

'What? No! I just thought...'

'You heard him, didn't you?'

Akaashi wipes the grease on his fingers onto a napkin, and quietly says, 'I might have.'

'Dick.'

Akaashi seems genuine as he says, 'Well, if you want to go and meet this Christine, I won't mind you know! She might be really nice, I don't mind hanging around while you talk to her. I won't get in the way or anything.'

Ennoshita looks at his friend, who is looking at him earnestly, holding the napkin in his hands, tearing off small pieces of it; he thinks he's being honest, despite the habit he has of tearing things when he's nervous. Apparently, Akaashi took the conversation at face value, having no idea of his attraction to Blondie, and his subsequent disappointment.

He sighs. 'No, I'm not interested in going. Or in Christine, whoever she is.'

'Oh.' Akaashi's hands stop worrying the napkin. 'Well, it's up to you. But I won't mind. I'll...never mind. If you want to.'

'Thanks.' The food is nearly all gone, and they need to make a decision about where to go next. The shops are closing, and it's a couple of hours until the concert starts. Usually they'd hang around the skate-park for a bit, but the atmosphere is weird somehow, and he can't put his finger on it.

He's unnerved, and he hates it, and he just wants things to go back to normal.

'Let's go to Jesus Green, then,' says Akaashi, making their minds up for the both of them. 'We can try and do that heel flip we saw.'

'OK.' But his voice is quiet and shaky, and he doesn't know why.

–

To get to Jesus Green, they have to walk through Christ's Pieces; Ennoshita really hates this park, it's always teeming with older teens, drinking cider, and he hates walking past them. He and Akaashi are dressed in crap clothes, and all too noticeable; the skateboards strapped onto their rucksacks are like targets on their backs, and the gangs usually aim insults about their spots and greasy hair at them.

He forgets every time they have to run this gauntlet to get to the skate-park.

'Let's not bother going, Keij.'

They stop walking, and Akaashi looks at him. 'You can't let them get to you.'

Ennoshita is fragile from earlier still, or he'd just carry on walking. But today, he can't do it. 'Nah. Let's go home.'

There's a pause as Akaashi continues to study him, and then he stretches out a hand. 'C'mon.'

'That's hardly going to help with them shouting at us.'

He moves slightly closer, and curls his fingers around Ennoshita's. 'I'll...hold it in my pocket.' He places their clasped hands in the pocket of his coat, and standing next to each other, in this evening light, no one would know they were holding hands.

But Ennoshita knows.

He knows because his heart is hammering in his chest. The feeling of Akaashi's hand in his is comforting. It's not the first time they've held hands, they've know each other for years after all, but it's been a while.

Akaashi's hand is softer than his, and his fingers are long, like a piano player. They slot between his own, the tips cold against the back of his hand. Their arms press against each other, and the secret of their fastened hands is hidden in the cocoon of Akaashi's pocket.

As they walk the path through the park, he can see and hear the groups around him, but they're not directing anything towards the pair of them. He isn't sure if they're quieter than usual, or he just can't hear them over the blood thrumming in his ears.

Neither of them speak until they're the other side of the park; they're waiting at the pedestrian crossing when Akaashi asks if he should let go of his hand now. They're still side by side, close as they can get, and he can see Akaashi from the corner of his eye, looking sideways at him.

'No, it's fine,' he says, also turning his head sideways.

They're still looking at each other in silence when the crossing's signal box starts to beep.

During the day, there are brightly painted barges, quacking troupes of ducks, and wooden boats softly clanking against each other on the water, but in the evening, it's all locked away, and everything is quiet.

It's only a few metres to the children's park, a mish-mash of random wooden shapes, painted in primary colours, with rope bridges and metal bars joining them. There's no sound here either, it's eerily devoid of laughter, only the sounds of the chains on the swings audible.

Akaashi takes their hands from his pocket, and pulls Ennoshita over towards the centre of the playground. At first, he thinks they're going to the swings, but Akaashi stops at the infinity bowl sticking out of the ground; it's a large metal bowl, and Akaashi sits in it like a chair, but then he uses his feet to push himself around in it.

Ennoshita watches, and shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans. As Akaashi spins around, he starts to feel dizzy watching him, so he puts a foot out to stop it.

'Sorry,' he says, watching Akaashi stutter to a halt uncomfortably.

'What's wrong?'

'You were making me dizzy.'

'Not that. You've been weird all day,' Akaashi says looking concerned.

Ennoshita walks closer, a leg either side of Akaashi's, and looks down at him. 'Tell me something. Did you hear...everything? In Parrot.'

'Yeah.'

'You really thought I might want to go? To meet this girl?'

'Maybe,' says Akaashi, looking at his hands as they start picking at his coat again, nervously.

'So you heard me?'

'Yeah.'

Ennoshita takes a deep breath before saying, 'It wasn't obvious I was flirting with him, then?'

Akaashi's head snaps up. 'N-no. Wait. What?'

'Can I?' Ennoshita gestures to the bowl, and Akaashi shuffles across to make room for him.

It's not really large enough for two teenage boys, and the curved side means they're closer than he'd like to be for this conversation, but he's forcing himself to stick to his decision.

'Keiji. I want to tell you something. It's really important, OK? I haven't told anyone else.'

'OK.' He gulps, and curls his legs inside the bowl, holding them around the knees. He looks at his arms, wrapping around himself.

Ennoshita takes another deep breath, also looking at Akaashi's hands, before saying, 'I'm gay.'

'OK.'

'That's why...I'm not interested in this Christine person. I was...that was me trying to chat up that blonde bloke.'

'It was a valiant attempt.' Akaashi is looking up at him, and this time he knows he's teasing him.

Ennoshita nudges him. 'Shut up! I've never done it before.'

Akaashi starts picking at the rip in the knee of his jeans. He seems to be psyching himself up to something.

'I think, perhaps, he's a bit old,' says Akaashi, 'And perhaps...you should look for someone younger. Maybe your own age.'

Even though they're both still lying in the bowl, curled around the two sides in the same position they have been for five minutes, suddenly the lack of distance is stifling.

'Yeah?'

'Yeah.' His hands are still picking, pulling pieces of material away from his legs, letting them fall to the floor. He's definitely nervous again, and Ennoshita thinks he might be starting to understand why.

'I'm not sure I know any gay people my age,' Ennoshita tries. He needs to move his legs, as they're going numb, but there's just not enough room.

Sitting in this was a terrible idea.

'You do.' Akaashi's voice is barely above a whisper.

He pulls his sleeves down over his hands, wraps them around his knees again, and now he's curled into such a tight ball, Ennoshita can finally move his legs.

The movement from where they're resting on the floor causes the bowl to spin again, and throws Akaashi's folded form against him, and he emits a surprised yelp. On instinct, Ennoshita catches him, and jams his foot into the ground to stop them again.

Akaashi fits perfectly against him, even though he's so skinny and tall. He feels warm in his arms, and he daredn't look down into his face, because he's scared of what will happen if he does.

His heart betrays him by thumping again, and there's no way Akaashi can't hear that from where he's positioned, his head in the crook of Ennoshita's shoulder.

Akaashi's hands unfurl from his chest, deliberately creeping up towards Ennoshita's face. He can't see it, but he can feel it in slow motion. He's holding his breath, waiting for the cool pads to reach his cheeks.

When they don't, he lets himself look down, and he knows he was right to be scared.

He can just make out Akaashi's face looking up at him, now the street-lights have come on. He can see how hesitant he is, in the biting of his lip, and the way his hands have stilled in their journey up towards his face, clutching his collar instead.

Why hadn't he noticed how beautiful he was before?

He's not sure who moves first, but his arms pull Akaashi into him at the same time his fingers pull on his collar, removing the last few centimetres between their faces.

His first kiss tastes of onion rings.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Outtake from a convo with my beta
> 
> Akaashi stank of onions and his teeth kept knocking Ennoshita.  
> 'Stop biting me you twat,' he said, as the infinity bowl spun around and they both fell on the floor


End file.
